Montréal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens, known in French as the Canadiens de Montréal, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec. They compete in the National Hockey LeagueNHLThe National Hockey League (NHL) is a men’s professional ice hockey league with clubs in the United States and Canada. Founded in Montreal in 1917, it comprises 32 teams and awards the Stanley Cup to its playoff champion.Open the full entry (NHL) and play at the Bell Centre.
Contents13 sections
Key facts
1909Foundation
J. Ambrose O’Brien founded the Canadiens on December 4, 1909, as a charter member of the National Hockey Association (NHA), intended to represent Montreal’s francophone community.[1]
1916–1917First title and formation of the NHL
The team won its first Stanley Cup in 1915–16 and became a founding NHL club in 1917.[1]
1924–1931Early championships and the Forum
The Canadiens won another Stanley Cup in 1924, moved into the Montreal Forum in 1926–27, and won consecutive titles in 1930 and 1931.[1]
1956–1960Five consecutive championships
Under coach Toe Blake, Montreal won five consecutive Stanley Cups, defeating Detroit, Boston and Toronto in the Finals. Jean Béliveau, Maurice Richard, Henri Richard, Doug Harvey and Jacques Plante played on all five championship teams.[2]
1976–1979Another championship dynasty
Coached by Scotty Bowman, the Canadiens won four consecutive Cups from 1976 to 1979. Key players included Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Bob Gainey. The 1976–77 team recorded 60 wins and 132 points.[3]
1986–1993Two titles with Patrick Roy
With Patrick Roy in goal, the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in 1986 and 1993.[1]
1996A new home arena
The team’s new arena opened on March 16, 1996. Originally called the Molson Centre, it later became the Bell Centre.[4]
2009Acquisition led by the Molson family
On December 1, 2009, the Molson family and other investors acquired the team, Bell Centre and entertainment business. Participating investor Fonds de solidarité FTQ announced a C$50 million investment that day.[5]
2026Eastern Conference Final
In 2026, Montreal reached the Eastern Conference Final.[6]
Name and crest
The nickname Habs derives from the French word Habitants, which Le Devoir used for the team in 1914. The H in the crest means Hockey, rather than Habitants; CH refers to Club de hockey Canadien.[7]
Home arena and historical honors
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Montréal Canadiens: Official website: https://www.nhl.com/canadiens (opens in a new window)[8]
Montréal Canadiens: X: https://x.com/canadiensmtl (opens in a new window)[8]
Montréal Canadiens: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/canadiensmtl (opens in a new window)[8]
Sources
- 2020–21 Montreal Canadiens Media Guide (opens in a new window)
- Montreal Canadiens: 1955–56 to 1959–60 (opens in a new window)
- Montreal Canadiens: 1975–76 to 1978–79 (opens in a new window)
- About the Bell Centre (opens in a new window)
- Solidarity Fund QFL Takes $50 Million Stake in the Montréal Canadiens (opens in a new window)
- Canadiens close the book on 2025–26 season (opens in a new window)
- The history of ice hockey in Montréal (opens in a new window)
- Montréal Canadiens — official website (opens in a new window)